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FasTracks & Aurora Line/I-225 Rail APTA Rail Conference
Charles Culig, P.E.
RTD I-225 Rail Line Project Manager
Denver, Colorado
Outline
• FasTracks Plan and Status
• I-225 Project Overview
• I-225 Rail Line Time Line
• Request for Change
• Challenges and Opportunities
• Final Alignment
• Current Progress
• Take-Aways
• 122 miles of new light rail and
commuter rail
• 18 miles of Bus Rapid Transit
(BRT) service
• 31 new Park-n-Rides; more than
21,000 new parking spaces
• Enhanced Bus Network & Transit
Hubs (FastConnects)
• Redevelopment of Denver Union
Station
• 57 new rail and/or BRT stations
• Opportunities for Transit Oriented
Communities
The RTD FasTracks Plan
FasTracks Status
• West Rail Line (W Line)—Opened
• Denver Union Station—Opened
• East/Gold/Northwest Rail Lines (EAGLE)—76% complete; commuter rail cars are arriving
• U.S. 36 BRT—Phase 1 of managed lanes 93% complete, Phase 2—55%
• North Metro Rail Line—Drainage work and track removal began in Feb.
• I-225 Rail Line— 60% complete
• Southeast Rail Extension—In process for federal grant
• 10.5-mile light rail line
• Begins at Nine Mile Station
• Eight stations
• Serves Aurora City Center, Anschutz Medical Campus and Fitzsimons Life Science District, new VA Hospital
• Connects to East Rail Line at Peoria Station
• Project 56% complete
• Opens in 2016
Aurora Line/I-225 Rail
• Fall 2004: Voters approved FasTracks
• Fall 2007-2009: I-225 Rail Line’s environmental process
• 2007: Tax revenues plummeted; cost for materials skyrocketed
• 2010: Eagle concessionaire selected; cost savings of $305M – $90M went to the I-225 Rail Line project
• February 2012: CDOT and RTD award joint construction project for widening I-225 and extending light rail guide way
• May 2012: SEMA begins work on Highway and Segment 1 Rail Project
Aurora Line/I-225 Rail Timeline
Timeline Continued
• March 2012: RTD receives unsolicited proposal from Kiewit Infrastructure Co.
• May 2012: RTD releases Request for Proposal for the I-225 Rail Line
• July 2012: RTD Board approves Kiewit proposal for I-225 Rail Line
• August 2012: RTD gives Notice to Proceed to Kiewit for construction of the 10.5 mile rail line
• May 2013: University of Colorado requested the light rail alignment be moved from the Anschutz/Fitzsimons Medical Campus
• June 2013: RTD Board approves alignment change off of Montview
• I-225 Rail Line schedule completion 4th Quarter 2016
• Early 2013: University of Colorado (CU) and Fitzsimons Redevelopment Authority (FRA) raise concerns about the Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) and vibrations impacts on future development
• Concerns of potential impacts to future facilities with sensitive equipment
• CU determines that mitigation options identified in the EE are no longer sufficient for future growth plans
• CU and FRA mandate that EMI and vibration impacts be mitigated and guarantee not to exceed current ambient conditions within 50 feet of the track
• After several meetings it was determined that even with significant costs to the project RTD would not be able to meet CU and FRA requirements
• CU and FRA request the alignment and station be relocated from center of the campus
• June 2013: RTD Board Approves the request and staff began reviewing options
• August 2013: RTD determined Preferred Alternative and began an Environmental Re-Evaluation.
Request for Change
Anschutz Medical Campus
FRA Development Plan
• Challenges
– Identify a Revised Preferred Alignment
– Environmental Re-Evaluation
• Evaluate impacts on Natural and Community Resources
• Community and Stakeholder Outreach
• Identify additional mitigation efforts
• Minimize encroachment into open space area
– Accommodating Stakeholder Request
– Stop Work Notice to Revise Contract
– Impacts to schedule and Budget
• Opportunities
– Better Operations – Higher speeds with less curves
– Safer alignment – Fewer At-Grade crossing
– Grade Separation over major arterial roadway
Challenges and Opportunities
Fitzsimons Alignment
Sand Creek Open Space
Construction Progress
Walls along Fitzsimons Parkway (March 2015)
Peoria-Sand Creek Flyover Bridge (Dec. 2014)
Construction Progress
Girder set over Peoria for the Peoria-Sand Creek Flyover Bridge (March 2015)
Peoria-Sand Creek Flyover Bridge (May 2015)
Construction Progress
Takeaways
• Timing is everything
• Technologies Change, People Change
• Everyone is an expert
• Have predetermined dispute resolution process
• Escalating a dispute does not mean failure
• Once a decision is made move quickly and don’t look back
Sign Up for Information:www.rtd-fastracks.com/i225_11
Construction Hotline: 720-863-8505
Presentation Requests:[email protected]
FasTracks Program Informationwww.rtd-fastracks.com
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